Wine lovers also love sake — they just might not know it yet! This collection features bottles with similar taste profiles to wine, making them excellent sake for beginners. It also includes sake brewed by expert winemakers! The sake brand IWA is the creation of Richard Geoffroy, former Champagne cellar master at Dom Pérignon. HEAVENSAKE is helmed by Regis Camus, former cellar master of Charles Heidsieck, Piper-Heidsieck and Maison Rare Champagne. These French wine experts have developed a profound love of sake, which means you can too.

Rice wine vs. grape wine

People often refer to sake as rice wine. Sake is made with fermented rice, similar to how grape wine is made with fermented grapes. Sake and wine both contain similar acids, but in different proportions. Grape wine contains more of the acids responsible for vinegar-like flavors, as well as tannins that are responsible for astringent and bitter flavors. Sake contains more of the acids that can be found in dairy and seafood, and are responsible for an umami taste. For this reason, sake is actually better for food pairing!

Some of the best wine and food pairings you can think of, such as wine with oysters or wine with salmon, taste even better with sake. Imayo Tsukasa “IMA” was specifically crafted to pair well with oysters, and has a flavor profile that wine lovers will find familiar. By the way, chilled sake and sparkling sake are usually recommended served in a wine glass!

Sake for people who like dry white wines

Those who prefer dry white wine will also adore Kawatsuru “Crane of Paradise” and Gozenshu “1859.” Kawatsuru “Olive” is a unique sake made with olive yeast, so it has a lively acidity that white wine drinkers will love.

Sake for people who like sweet white wines

If you prefer sweet white wines like a Moscato or a sweet riesling, the DASSAI brand is perfect for you. DASSAI is one of the world’s bestselling sake brands, adored for lightly sweet, fruity and floral profiles that finish clean. Dassai “23” is their flagship product, but if you’re looking to spend less than $40, Dassai “45” is a fantastic choice — and a bestseller!

Ozeki, another supremely popular brand, also makes a sake called “Judan Jikomi,” which is a scrumptious replacement for your usual dessert wine. A little more expensive at over $100, Ozeki “Judan Jikomi” offers tantalizing notes of berries and vanilla.

Sake for people who like rose wines

Rose wines are known for their pinkish hue and their fruity, often berry-like flavors. There are two sake in this collection that check those boxes: Oze no Yukidoke “Oze × Rose” and Amabuki “Gin no Kurenai.” While sake is generally clear or slightly yellow, these two sake are pink! “Oze × Rose” is brewed using red sake yeast, giving it its lovely color. It’s sweet with notes of berries and citrus. “Gin no Kurenai” gets its color from black rice. It is also brewed using strawberry flower yeast and Queen of the Night flower yeast. The result is a rose-like drink with floral and berry flavors.

Sake for people who like red wines

Sake is more similar to white wine than it is to red wine. However, some breweries are making products to bridge that gap. Sho Chiku Bai “Junmai” Skyline is a sake that adds tannins by aging the sake in bourbon barrels. Those who love wine and food pairings like red wine and steak will find a new friend in Sho Chiku Bai “Junmai” Skyline.

Sake as gifts for wine lovers

Just like wine, sake runs the gamut in terms of price and rarity. Our Wine Lovers Gift Set is an excellent choice, as it features a white wine-style sake and a rose-style sake at an affordable price point. If you’re searching for an exquisite gift for wine lovers, any of the IWA 5 bottles will meet the moment. Made with several rice types and yeast strains all blended together, IWA 5 balances a breadth of flavors and can be served at virtually any temperature with any food pairing. They range in price between $200-$400.

DASSAI “Beyond,” a sake that took more than 10 years to perfect, is a luxurious sake that is priced at about twice that. Tatenokawa Brewing Company also makes beautiful sake with extreme rice polishing ratios that require expert precision and care. At just under $500, Tatenokawa “Kyokugen” is a wonderful high-end sake for kaiseki and fine dining.